The newest addition to the Disney Cruise Line fleet, the Disney Wish, has passed its first sailing test.
Last week, the Disney Wish officially departed from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany after almost two years of construction.
The ship successfully sailed from Germany to Eemshaven in the Netherlands, where it will complete its final tests.
This journey is known as the Ems Conveyance, a 20-mile journey that lasts around 10 hours, full of complex maneuvers to test a new cruise ship.
The Maritime Executive reports that “The journey began on March 30 at the Meyer shipyard with passage through the Papenburg dock lock. The passage through the lock and several bridges along the river are a tight fit for the vessel, which has a 128-foot beam. The shipbuilder determined years ago that navigating vessels stern first down the river provides the best maneuverability, but makes for an unusual sight for the spectators that line parts of the river. The cruise ship is accompanied by tugs fore and aft and at one point in the journey passes over the highway which goes under the river in a tunnel.”
The maiden voyage of the Disney Wish was delayed this summer to July 14 due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19, which affected production.
The Wish is the third ship from Meyer Werft following the Dream and Fantasy. The cruise line’s first two ships, the Magic & Wonder, were made by Fincantieri in Italy.
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Too bad many of us can’t sail on any Disney ship due to all the restrictions. I guess we will have to spend that money somewhere else, like on gas…
What restrictions? To be vaccinated and take a COVID testing before sailing?
I know — vaccinations and testing are SO onerous! At least I’ll know I’m safer with only responsible passengers onboard!
To be honest: the Ems Conveyance is not a real test for the ship. Ok, it swims, but the tugs do the job.
It is mir a test for the captain and navigator.
Real test runs will start in the next days from Eemshaven to the North Sea. Always nice to observe the AIS signal on vesselfinder.
Greetings from Germany.
Can’t attach a PDF so here’s a cut and paste of the result from a copy of the first sailing test for Disney Wish:
First Sailing Test
Test: Does ship float?
Result: Affirmative